The+Picture+of+Dorian+Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
A picture can say a thousand words... right? Well in the late 1800s, Oscar Wilde's words were quite the scandal. This novel, the only one Wilde ever published in his life, was so scandalous for society that many ordered it banned from bookshelves. In his own defense, Wilde penned a wildly popular preface defending his right as an author and an artist to create thought provoking material in any form of his choosing. Dorian Gray, the Victorian Era protagonist (or antagonist), is faced with many hedonistic temptations in his young life. Adopting a carpe diem like mentality, he decides to embrace his newly found decadent world view at the expense of his soul... and his image. Literally. The themes of this text can be varied but include aging, living a double life, narcissism, corruption, lack of self control, and most popularly preservation of self through Faustian means... something you may be familiar with through the course of your studies last year in American Lit: the deal with the devil.

Here is a link to the trailer for the most recent film remake of this compelling story.

@http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eAQWllCHHU